The A Scale is the third most commonly used scale in Irish music, and is very common in Scottish tunes. This scale introduces another half-holed note (G sharp), but thankfully this note is not very common. The A scale is as follows:
You may also be able to play G sharp this way, depending on your whistle:
You should be familiar with both ways of playing G sharp, but don't worry - you won't have to play it often, because there is a variant of the A scale, technically called the "A Mixolydian" scale, in which you play a G instead of a G sharp. You can get a Mixolydian scale from any major scale by simply making the seventh note (the one just below the starting one) a half-step flat. This scale has the same notes as a D scale, but it starts on A instead of D.
EXERCISE 5
Repeat exercise two, but in the scale of A. Use the G sharp as shown, and
practice it both ways. Again, be careful to breathe continuously when changing
to and from the G sharp so that you can hear crossing notes, and correct
them. Practice until this scale, and the G sharp, are comfortable and you
play them for a minute or two without mistakes.
The scale of A has a related scale which uses the same notes but starts on B instead of A. Try this and you will hear the difference. In general, you can start on the second note of any major scale to get what is called the "Dorian" scale. Regardless of the scale you're playing, it is named by the note it starts on.
Most tunes in Irish music use the scales of D Major, D Mixolydian, E Dorian, G Major, A Major, A Dorian, A Mixolydian, or B Dorian. D Major, E Dorian, and A Mixolydian have the same notes; G Major, A Dorian, and D Mixolydian have the same notes; and A Major and B Dorian have the same notes. This might seem superfluous, since chances are you've got the music in front of you or you're learning the tune by ear, but becoming familiar with music theory can help you in certain situations. For more information, check out Theory On Tap, a series of articles written for players of the Chapman Stick(R).
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